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4 Ways Technology Can Keep Your Senior Loved One Safe

Worrying about the safety of another person — or yourself — constantly removes some of the joy from living. One thing that’s important to us at Bethesda Senior Living Communities is being able to support all our residents in living a joy-filled life whenever possible.

One way we do that is by using technology to help keep our assisted living communities safe. No matter where seniors choose to settle down, technology can help reduce risks, improve health compliance and keep them safe. Here’s a look at four ways technology can be used for these purposes.

Automatic door alerts let you equip exterior exit points — and interior doors or windows, if desired — with technology that sounds an alarm or sends an app alert to you when the door is opened.

At our Autumn View Gardens community in Creve Coeur, staff use Stanley Healthcare’s Wander Management System and other technology solutions to ensure doors remain closed when appropriate and that at-risk seniors don’t wander outside of the community. Every exterior door at the assisted living community is equipped with alert technology, so staff can respond quickly to assess the area and check for at-risk residents when doors are opened.

Our Creve Coeur assisted living community also makes use of Bluetooth capabilities to better protect at-risk residents. Individuals who are at-risk of elopement (leaving the community unknowingly because of memory or cognitive issues or being unable to find their way back to the community) wear Bluetooth bracelets. When at-risk residents pass through doors equipped with WanderGuard Blue, staff are alerted so they can react immediately to keep the resident safe.

Bluetooth devices can also help loved ones who are acting as caregivers know where their senior family members are at all times.

Fitness trackers and related technology aren’t just for those hitting the gym or running track regularly. Wearable devices today can track a variety of vital signs and health factors, including heart rate, sleep quality and even blood sugar levels.

Families who want to help older loved ones manage a chronic disease might invest in these technologies, which can let a caregiver, nurse or doctor see current data and trends — all while the loved one continues to live life normally and comfortably wherever they are.

New devices also make it easy for family members, caregivers and medical staff to monitor medication compliance. Various tech lets you access medication history on a smartphone and see if your loved one has missed a dose. That makes it easier to support someone in living a healthy lifestyle or maintaining a chronic condition without intervening constantly on their privacy or space.

At Bethesda Senior Living Communities, we believe in a holistic approach to senior care. Our communities include policies and programs that support residents in physical, mental and spiritual well-being, and technology is just one of the tools we use in our mission.